Dinner and lunch in Cossignano

Settling in to the Italian countryside. We are in Le Marche. Found a fabulous ristorante called Castello de Marte, run by a young guy named Fabio - no, not him. Our guy buttons his shirt.

This is a tiny little village. Some older Italians are chilling in the square drinking whiskey and playing cards. Is this what older Americans would be doing if we had a real social safety net and a younger retirement age? I'd like to find out.

Anyway, back to the food. Since it's the closest place to our lodging, we dined here for dinner last night and then again for lunch today. Have consumed a lot of cured meats, asparagus - very much in season - and of course pasta! All washed down with some local wine. I'll be sending some of this home to SoCo.

If you are ever near here, I would heartily recommend you make your way over to see Fabio. Mixing countries, our dinner last night was all omakase. We ordered nothing, but everything came. I think we had 5 starters. It was pretty incredible. Our only choice was which wine to drink. It's nice not have to give too much thought to where you'll eat and then what to order. It was very much appreciated.

This is ideal. I think it's nap time. Ciao.

Early Summer Break - back in 3 weeks

I hope the flag to the left gives you an indication of where I am heading later today. I see much cured meats, vino and pasta in my future.

My wife and I are celebrating a significant wedding anniversary so we're heading across the pond. In addition to eating, I guess we'll do some sightseeing, and visiting some of my family who live in Abruzzo.

And once done there, we move on for the second half of the trip. We'll undoubtedly continue our gastronomic journey eating probably the best pork on earth, paella, fresh seafood, and drinking more vino - but this time poured from high over our heads. There will certainly be a large dry cleaning bill for me once I get back to SoCo.

I plan to take many pictures of the delicacies we encounter. If I can blog while I am gone I'll do so, if not then upon my return. OK, behave yourselves. Ciao.

Long Live The Greek Place

Man, I was so over the Big Greek Cafe. It's time for something new and exciting at 8417 Georgia Ave. And that new and exciting dining spot is: The Greek Place. Now open for business.

So for those jonesing for gyros, hummus, or falafel, you can now get your fix. Well you probably could have before at Lebanese Taverna. But if you specifically need a Greek fix, you're now in luck.

I was told the same hours, same food, same menu, but because of new owners they had to change the name.

Not sure yet exactly what happened on the ownership front. SS Singular reported in March that the Big Greek Cafe was being operated by the same family who have run the Golden Flame since like the 18th century. So I did a little searching on the website for the MD Dept of Assessments and Taxation. However, that provided little clarity.

It was odd. On Feb 16, 2009, a document was filed stating 8417 was now owned by the Big Greek, Inc. Then on April 16 a document was filed stating the trade name of 8417 Georgia Ave was the Big Greek Cafe. But says the president is Jose Carino. Then just last Tues (May 5), another document was filed stating the new name is Taqueria El Mexicano, owned by Carino. What?? The taqueria is certainly long gone. What gives?

But this is probably way more than you want to know, right? Does anyone really care? If so, let me know and I'll dig in more. If not, just get over there and eat some hummus.

Cinco de Mayo en SoCo

In case folks in the hood are looking for a Cinco de Mayo celebration, there is one happening this evening on Hellsworth.

However, it should be noted, Cinco de Mayo is not Mexican independence day, that is Sept 16, the most important national patriotic holiday in the country. Cinco de Mayo is mainly celebrated in the state of Puebla commemorating the Battle of Puebla where French forces were defeated on May 5, 1862.

However, we have co-opted this day as a convenient excuse to party and drink. Yeah for America. And appropriately, SoCo will have its own "fiesta." Hellworth will be closed to make room for a stage that will host mariachi music, Latin jazz and dancers - this is according to the Washington Post. It is reported that Austin Grill is expanding its patio to create a "Mexican beer garden," with $2 Mexican Flag shooters and $5 margaritas and beers. This sounds pretty authentic to me.

If anyone goes, I'll be really curious to see AG's "Mexican beer garden." My gut says it's their patio decorated with some Mexican flags. Viva Cinco de Mayo!

New pupuseria on the Avenue

I know a lot of you out there really miss Pinto Thai, but it's time to get over them, right? If you're craving Thai food you still have 4 choices in the hood - Thai Derm, Thai Market, SS Thai Flavor, and Thai at SS. If that doesn't meet your needs, well you might want to think of relocating to Bangkok or something.

But this post is not about Thai food, although I do love the deep fried tofu they do at... oops sorry.

This post is about a new dining spot in the hood called Pupuersia El Oasis at 8223 Georgia Ave. I believe they have been open about a month now. And while they are still going through some growing pains, like almost any new place, it is worth checking out.

Our first visit a few weeks back was for lunch. I went basic and did pupusas while my wife went a bit more exotic and ordered the whole fried fish (we were told talapia).

As you can see, be prepared for a whole fish. This takes some work since this little guy is pretty bony. But in the end I think you'll be satisfied with what you get. The meat was pretty tender and juicy and had a nice flavor. Just don't be in a rush to wolf down this order- I guess it could be considered slow food. And while the beans are tasty, at least this order was VERY salty. They are small whole black beans and are yummy, but you might want to bring your blood pressure medicine with you.

No pics of my pupusas, but use your imagination here. They are your standard fare pupusa. I ordered the bean and cheese pupusa - very good - and then one with flower petals and cheese. I thought I'd be a little adventurous. I did not get much taste out of the flower petals. Maybe there weren't enough in there, but I mostly tasted cheese. Which I like. So it was OK. Next time I plan to stick with the bean and cheese pupusas.

Our next visit was for breakfast. I was surprised to see El Oasis opens at 8AM on Sundays. Not sure how many folks are strolling in that early. My guess they could open at 10AM and be in pretty good shape. Perhaps they're trying to pick up the Sunday Fresh Start crowd since they're not open that day.

Anyway, we were the only ones in at about 11AM. The proprietor was taking a constitutional on Georgia when we approached, but he scrambled back in to take our order - which should not have been that hard. But alas, it was. The breakfast menu is not long and I think the cooked egg dishes may not number more than two. But it still took some doing for my wife to order one of the egg dishes and me the other. If I could tell you why I would. The chef in the back had to come out to lend a hand, but that didn't actually help very much. And it wasn't the language barrier either. My wife has an OK grasp of Spanish and the folks at El Oasis speak English pretty well. But even pointing at both items on the menu, it still took a few minutes for them to kinda grasp what we wanted.

Fortunately when our orders arrived they were the right ones. On the right you'll see an order of huevos rancheros, with tortillas, plantains, queso, crema and beans - a filling breakfast. These beans were not nearly as salty as our last ones, so that's a good thing; but the eggs were a bit overcooked.

My order was pretty similar except just scrambled eggs. The menu did claim my beans were hand ground. But they appeared and tasted the same as my wife's beans which were refried. Maybe it's such a fine distinction my palate just couldn't discern it.

I would say both were meals good, certainly not great. But the proprietors are charming and as you can imagine the prices are very reasonable. Our 2 breakfasts along with a couple juice drinks ran us $18.

I hope El Oasis does well. But they need to pick up some restaurant basics to help ensure the place runs smoothly. I would be frightened if a large crowd was there how the folks could handle it. My gut tells me at least right now, it would not be pretty. We'll keep our eyes on them.

Farmers Market back in session

If you missed the opening weekend, you're in luck. Our vendors will be back this Saturday and every other one till December. They started early this year and are running longer. I am pleased at this change.

Many of the same vendors returned for 2009, but we have some new ones too. As I previously mentioned Gunpowder was there with a full range of items. I picked up some ground bison and made some burgers on Saturday afternoon. It's amazing how lean the meat is. I'm not sure if the patties shrunk in size at all after they were grilled. I was quite pleased with the purchase - 1 pound for $6.

And if you don't have any greens ready yet in your garden, I highly recommend these folks to the left. I'm sorry I don't know their name, but let me tell you, their greens are fabulous. They do a mixed bag or you can simply by a head. They're also selling micro greens. Last week they were selling micro arugula and micro celery greens. I tried the micro arugula. I was told it was super concentrated so a little went a long way. And while I do like it, I did not get that big arugula pop I was expecting. Maybe it's because one time I added them to a bunch of other greens and the next was between a bison burger covered with cheese and my bun. It's pretty neat stuff. You may want to give it a try.

But for a wider selection of greens you need to try this vendor. Their selection included swiss chard, spinach and other greens, along with ramps and a bunch of other goodies. I was disappointed since they did not have any leeks, but oh well. And I was also a bit shocked at the price. It might be partly due to the fact that I have a bunch of chard and spinach coming up in my garden - although it's not ready yet - that I could not bring myself to pay $8 for a large bunch of spinach (or chard). I don't remember it being that much last year. And I know as soon as I prepare it, it will cook down to almost nothing. So I really needed a large bunch - but couldn't pull the trigger.

I guess the one expensive item I did pull the trigger on was sheep's milk cheese from a new vendor - Everona Dairy in Rapidan, VA. Be prepared, this is not inexpensive cheese. We bought something called Stony Man, a very smooth tasting cheese, not overpowering at all with a nice flavor. But even though I bought a small piece, I think less than 1/2 pound it was still around $12. This was one of the least expensive because I think it was a smaller cut. I'm sure I will continue to throw some business their way, just not every week.

There are plenty of vendors I haven't covered here that are worth checking out. There are a couple great bread stands - one with mostly loaves and the other with breakfast goodies. As you can see by the expression on this shopper's face (and a neighbor), their selection was delectable. I also want to report that Charlie Koiner and his daughter had their stand set up, so that was great to see. They did not have a lot to offer, mostly some giant spring onions. And these are monsters. For a $1.50 there is no way to go wrong. I've used them in a miso/noodle soup and with some homemade pasta already this week, with still plenty to spare. Can I find a role for them in my pizza?

So get on out there and support these local vendors. They are offering some great fresh stuff. While you won't walk out without your wallet or purse being a decent amount lighter, I think by the time you eat all you bought - and you better - you'll be pleased with your purchases. See you on Saturday morning.

Farmers Market Returns This Weekend

Yes, it's still in the 30s when you wake up, but it is time for fresh, local veggies and fruit. If you've made the trek east to the Takoma Park Farmers Market lately, you've been seeing plenty of vendors with great looking greens, fruit, and misc veggies along with eggs, cheese and meats.

And now starting this Saturday the Silver Spring Farmers Market returns (9AM-1PM). Not sure yet if we have new vendors coming or not, but I did hear that for you meat eaters out there, that Gunpowder Bison from Monkton will be offering bison burgers and steaks. They've been at Takoma Park lately, but I have yet to try anything. Although I must say it looks awful good.

Also, I'm a little worried whether or not Charlie Koiner will be back this year. If you don't know Charlie, he has a plot of land at the corner of Easley St and Grove right off downtown SS where he typically sells fruit and veg from the spring till the fall. He and his daughter are also stalwarts at the SS Market. But this year I have yet to see Charlie out in the garden much (if any) and his sign which lists what he has for sale has not made an appearance in the yard. Hope things are OK with him. He is getting up there in age - probably mid-80s.

And I hope if you have any space to do gardening yourself, you've gotten the bug and have planted, or are thinking about planting, a few things. I can tell you that my greens are coming up nicely - arugula, spinach and lettuce - and I'm getting things ready for a bunch more stuff. I've expanded my plot this year to include okra, peas, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, string beans and more. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

OK, hope to see you at the market this weekend!